PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Aggressive treatment of psoriatic arthritis results in 'significant' improvement, says new research

2013-10-28
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Ben Jones
B.P.Jones@leeds.ac.uk
University of Leeds
Aggressive treatment of psoriatic arthritis results in 'significant' improvement, says new research People with a type of arthritis affecting the skin and joints respond significantly better to early, aggressive drug treatment compared to standard care, according to preliminary results presented by a University of Leeds lecturer to a major US conference.

Dr Philip Helliwell, who is leading an Arthritis Research UK-funded multi-centre clinical trial into psoriatic arthritis, revealed today (Monday October 28) at the prestigious American College of Rheumatology Congress in San Diego that patients benefited from a rapid escalation of medication.

Psoriatic arthritis – perhaps best known for being the condition Michael Gambon's character suffered from in the television programme, The Singing Detective – affects the joints and the skin, causing joint pain and swelling, leading to joint damage and disability over time.

Although better drugs are now available to treat the condition than in the past, Dr Helliwell and his team believe that earlier, intensive treatment of the condition can reduce joint damage more effectively, preventing disability.

"We have found that tight control of disease activity in psoriatic arthritis, using a targeted approach, significantly improves the joint and skin outcomes for newly diagnosed patients with no unexpected side-effects," said Dr Helliwell, Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology and a leading UK authority in psoriatic arthritis.

Dr Helliwell and his colleague Dr Laura Coates from the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, spearheaded a £550,000 national clinical trial, involving more than 200 patients, based at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds.

They compared intensive early treatment carried out in specialist clinics with the kind of care patients usually receive, to find out which group of patients do better over a year.

"We predicted that a tighter, more aggressive treatment of psoriatic arthritis in which patients are given escalating dosages of drugs if their condition is not responding, and who then see a specialist every month with the aim of controlling their symptoms fully and as soon as possible, would result in a good outcome after 12 months," explained Dr Helliwell.

"That has proven to be the case. These findings could have significant implications for the way that this common type of inflammatory arthritis is treated and controlled."

Medical director of Arthritis Research UK, Professor Alan Silman, said: "Patients with psoriatic arthritis in general have fewer affected joints than those with rheumatoid arthritis, but there are sub-groups of patients who suffer a very severe form with a significant risk of irreversible, joint damage.

"Research in this disorder has lagged behind rheumatoid arthritis research, although patients have similar levels of disability and reduction in quality of life. In addition, they have to cope with often very severe skin problems and arthritis affecting the spine.

"Our trial has shown that patients with psoriatic arthritis benefit from early aggressive treatment that reduces the inflammation in the joints. Such an approach proved successful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and this research could lead to a similar change in the way psoriatic arthritis patients are managed in the future."

INFORMATION:

Further information

For more information, contact Ben Jones, Press Officer, on 0113 34 38059 or email B.P.Jones@leeds.ac.uk

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A large, observational study of common gout treatment allopurinol shows less than half of patients reach recommended treatment goal

2013-10-28
A large, observational study of common gout treatment allopurinol shows less than half of patients reach recommended treatment goal WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AstraZeneca and Ardea Biosciences today presented results from a large study of allopurinol, ...

Researchers discover a new protein fold with a transport tunnel

2013-10-28
Researchers discover a new protein fold with a transport tunnel Biochemists from Bielefeld, Toronto, Boston, and Kiel publish study in Nature This news release is available in German. The protein LIMP-2 is vital for both humans and animals. ...

A noble yet simple way to synthesize new metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

2013-10-28
A noble yet simple way to synthesize new metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction Ulsan, S. Korea, Oct 28, 2013 – A Korean research team from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), S. Korea, ...

How problems with an Alzheimer's protein can jam up traffic in the brain

2013-10-28
How problems with an Alzheimer's protein can jam up traffic in the brain Study shows how the wrong levels of a protein linked with Alzheimer's disease can lead to dangerous blockages in brain cells BUFFALO, N.Y. — Scientists have known for some time that a protein ...

Social science graduates more likely to be in work than science or arts graduates, report says

2013-10-28
Social science graduates more likely to be in work than science or arts graduates, report says Social science graduates are more likely to be in employment after their first degree than graduates in other areas such as science and the arts, and a higher proportion ...

Minimally invasive surgery for paraesophageal hernia is 'revolutionary' -- but experts still differ on

2013-10-28
Minimally invasive surgery for paraesophageal hernia is 'revolutionary' -- but experts still differ on 'Current controversies' in laparascopic paraesophageal hernia repair are highlighted in Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques Philadelphia, ...

Many bushfires in New South Wales, Australia

2013-10-28
Many bushfires in New South Wales, Australia NASA's Terra satellite detected dozens of bushfires continued raging in the Australian state of New South Wales, outside of Sydney. Sydney is the state capital and the most populated city in Australia. According to ...

Extra-Tropical Storm Lekima weakens in Northern Pacific

2013-10-28
Extra-Tropical Storm Lekima weakens in Northern Pacific Once a typhoon now an extra-tropical cyclone in the far northern Pacific Ocean, Lekima is weakening over cool waters. NASA's Aqua satellite captured the last image of Lekima as a typhoon before it weakened. On ...

The Chemistry of Fear: A new video from the American Chemical Society

2013-10-28
The Chemistry of Fear: A new video from the American Chemical Society With Halloween just a few days away, millions are flocking to horror films and haunted houses for their annual dose of terror. The latest video from the American Chemical Society's (ACS) ...

Poor motor performance linked to poor academic skills in the first school years

2013-10-28
Poor motor performance linked to poor academic skills in the first school years Children with poor motor performance at the school entry were found to have poorer reading and arithmetic skills than their better performing peers during the first three years of school. However, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New post-hoc analysis shows patients whose clinicians had access to GeneSight results for depression treatment are more likely to feel better sooner

First transplant in pigs of modified porcine kidneys with human renal organoids

Reinforcement learning and blockchain: new strategies to secure the Internet of Medical Things

Autograph: A higher-accuracy and faster framework for compute-intensive programs

Expansion microscopy helps chart the planktonic universe

Small bat hunts like lions – only better

As Medicaid work requirements loom, U-M study finds links between coverage, better health and higher employment

Manifestations of structural racism and inequities in cardiovascular health across US neighborhoods

Prescribing trends of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes or obesity

Continuous glucose monitoring frequency and glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes

Bimodal tactile tomography with bayesian sequential palpation for intracavitary microstructure profiling and segmentation

IEEE study reviews novel photonics breakthroughs of 2024

New method for intentional control of bionic prostheses

Obesity treatment risks becoming a ‘two-tier system’, researchers warn

Researchers discuss gaps, obstacles and solutions for contraception

Disrupted connectivity of the brainstem ascending reticular activating system nuclei-left parahippocampal gyrus could reveal mechanisms of delirium following basal ganglia intracerebral hemorrhage

Federated metadata-constrained iRadonMAP framework with mutual learning for all-in-one computed tomography imaging

‘Frazzled’ fruit flies help unravel how neural circuits stay wired

Improving care for life-threatening blood clots

Yonsei University develops a new era of high-voltage solid-state batteries

Underweight and unbalanced: Gut microbial diversity in underweight Japanese women

Astringent, sharper mind: Flavanols trigger brain activity for memory and stress response

New editorial urges clinicians to address sex-based disparities in sepsis treatment

Researchers at MIT develop new nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system to attack ovarian tumors

Opening the door to a vaccine for multiple childhood infections

New clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain’s ‘brake’ system

Detailed map of US air-conditioning usage shows who can beat the heat — and who can’t

An electronic fiber for stretchable sensing

New image captures spooky bat signal in the sky

Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production

[Press-News.org] Aggressive treatment of psoriatic arthritis results in 'significant' improvement, says new research